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I never grew up with pets so I wasn’t use to being around cats or dogs. My brother had fish and turtles growing up, so my interaction with furry creatures were limited. I did get bit by a chihuahua once so that traumatized me. For the longest time I was afraid of dogs, that is until my sister got a Yorkshire terrier. I got to dog sit for the first time, maybe a week or two after they got her. She was still a puppy and was not fully potty trained. The night before they left, they let the dog sleep on their bed. So of course when I watched her, she expected to sleep on the bed. The first night, I kept trying to put her in crate but she wasn’t having it. She kept barking and pretending she had to pee, so that I would let her out. I finally gave up at 4 am and let her sleep on the bed. The week consisted of me stepping in her poop and trying to keep this little pup entertained. She required a lot of attention and was essentially a little princess. It was definitely a good learning experience and made me question which was more difficult, dog sitting or baby sitting. I’m still not sure…

What I have learned from puppy sitting:

• Don’t let your dog sleep in your bed the night before someone is going to watch them and expect them to sleep in its crate
• Some dogs will only pee on those pads and will need to be taken out to poop
• If you leave your puppy home alone for too long, he/she will punish you by leaving little surprises around the house

My first cat sitting experience was interesting. My friend was going out of town for a week and needed someone to fed the cat and keep it company. I must prefaced this by saying that I have never been a cat person. I had been a little afraid of the cat but reluctantly agreed. The first night was okay. I left the bedroom door open so that the cat could sleep on the bed. He was too busy waiting for his owner to come home, so he spent most of the night in front of the door. The next night he slept at the end of the bed, which made me sleep a bit uneasy. The third day, I got home and decided to be nice and pet the cat. He seemed to like it and when I stopped to cook dinner, the little rascal bit me! He ran upstairs as I screamed. Needless to say, I was traumatized once again. I spent the next few days on edge. I closed the bedroom door because I could not sleep in the same room with that thing. He pawed at the door and whined, which freaked me out even more. I was relieved when my cat sitting assignment was over and am still a bit weary of Kirby the cat.Here is what I learned about cats:

• They need to feel taken care of, so make sure their food and water is always filled and its kitty litter is changed often enough
• If you show it affection, it will expect more of it and proceed to bite you if it doesn’t get it
• Some cats are not as independent as you would think, and require a lot of attention

After that experience, I must admit that I have more of an affinity toward dogs. I hope to get over my fear of Kirby, but that bite scarred me both physically and mentally.Cats and dogs are interesting animals. We treat pets like our own family members and they get used to a certain way of life. We buy them clothes, special treats and give them hugs and kisses. I’ve always wondered what they do all day when you are at work or leave them home alone for hours.

Rachel Quach
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